Opera Orlando is kicking off its second decade with one of opera’s most enduring tragedies. Madame Butterfly opens this weekend at Steinmetz Hall, allowing Central Florida audiences to experience Puccini’s celebrated work, including $15 Student Rush tickets for every performance.
The opera will be presented Oct. 2–4, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. A newly added Saturday performance gives audiences three opportunities to see the production.
Student Rush tickets are available at the Bill & Mary Darden Box Office at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, located at 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando, beginning up to two hours before each performance.
Students and faculty from any educational institution can purchase up to two $15 tickets per valid student or faculty ID.
A Story of Love and Betrayal
Set in Nagasaki, Japan, at the beginning of the 20th century, Madame Butterfly follows Cio-Cio San, a young Japanese woman who marries American naval officer Lt. B.F. Pinkerton.
Pinkerton views the marriage very differently than Cio-Cio San does. While he soon leaves Japan, she remains committed to their relationship and spends years believing he will return.
Her circumstances become even more complicated as she faces rejection from members of her family after converting to Christianity and eventually raises a child while waiting for Pinkerton.
When Pinkerton finally returns, Cio-Cio San discovers that the life she imagined has changed dramatically. The opera follows the emotional consequences of that realization, exploring devotion, power, cultural differences, and a mother’s determination to protect her child.
The work also served as inspiration for the Broadway musical Miss Saigon.
Soprano Yeawon Jun makes her Opera Orlando debut in the title role of Cio-Cio San. She is joined by tenor Isaac Hurtado as Lt. Pinkerton and Grammy Award-winning baritone and Opera Orlando General Director Gabriel Preisser as Sharpless.
The production also features mezzo-soprano Yoojin Lee as Suzuki and tenor Brad Bickhardt as Goro, with bass Zaikuan Song returning to Orlando as Bonze.
Stage director Rebecca A. Herman and conductor Kalena Bovell are also making their Opera Orlando company debuts.
Bovell, a 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, will lead the production alongside the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, which will perform Puccini’s score from the pit. Opera Orlando’s Apprentice and Studio Artists, Chorus and Youth Company will also be part of the production.
The staging takes a minimalist approach to its visual design while drawing from Japanese aesthetics. Opera Orlando has also worked with cultural consultants to inform elements of the production, including staging, movement and costume.
What To Know Before You Go
Madame Butterfly is performed in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles and runs approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
A free pre-show talk will be held onstage 50 minutes before each performance and is included with admission.
The production carries a PG-13 age advisory and includes depictions of self-harm.
For students and faculty members, the $15 Student Rush tickets provide an opportunity to experience the production at a reduced price. Regular tickets start at $40, inclusive of venue fees.
Schedule:
- Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.
All performances take place at Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando.
Tickets are available through the Dr. Phillips Center’s Bill & Mary Darden Box Office, online at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, or by calling (407) 512-1900 ext. 0.
For more information about the production, visit Opera Orlando.
